


Discipline of the Blue Book

by Sashataakheru



Series: Two Taskmasters - Stories About A Kinky Threesome [18]
Category: Taskmaster (UK TV) RPF
Genre: Affection, Aftercare, Asking Permission, Bisexuality, Chains, Cock Rings, Collars, Comforting, Community: unconventionalcourtship, Cuddles, Cuffs, Curiosity, D/s, Dirty Talk, Greg Being Nice To Alex, Group Sex, Held Down, Kink Dungeon, Kink Exploration, Kink Negotiation, Kissing, Leashes, Leather Kink, M/M, Master/Servant, Masturbation, Open Marriage, Oral Sex, Photographs, Restraints, Service Kink, Sex Dreams, Subspace, Teasing, Tenderness, being held, boot licking, fantasies, fluffing, foot worship, live-in servant, married submissive, nonsexual kink, personal care, ring gags, romance tropes, ropes, sex diaries, sexual service, the Taskmaster house
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:13:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25917142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sashataakheru/pseuds/Sashataakheru
Summary: "I can't stop looking at it. This small book I found tucked away on a bookshelf in Greg's library. I'm reading the little Blue Book, or more accurately, looking at its pictures again and again. It must be based on some real need. Some real kink. Greg must have wanted it. I think I do too..."Alex is committed to serving his master Greg in every way possible - even to the point of fluffing him for sex before Greg's boys come round. But while his master is on vacation, Alex, left alone to take care of Greg's house, discovers the Blue Book, an erotic tome filled with photos of Greg disciplining his submissives. Once he arrives back, Greg discovers that Alex is turned on by the sensual images of domination - leading to experiments of his own that reveal all Alex's secret, wicked desires...
Relationships: Alex Horne/OFC, Greg Davies/Alex Horne, Greg Davies/Russell Howard/Josh Widdicombe/Jon Richardson
Series: Two Taskmasters - Stories About A Kinky Threesome [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1165952
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26
Collections: Unconventional Courtship





	Discipline of the Blue Book

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Unconventional Courtship 2020. Based on Discipline of the Blue Book by Portia da Costa (#134). I have kept the main concept, that of a kinky blue book with erotic photographs in it that leads to kink discovery and exploration, but modified the summary to accommodate the different sort of relationship Greg and Alex have. Based on Taskmaster canon, in which Greg and Alex live in the Taskmaster house together. And, ofc, the little blue book used in the screaming task in s7e8. 
> 
> Many many thanks to @CursoryB and @littleb0d for beta duties. <3

"Oi, you're not done yet, boy. On your knees," Greg said.

Alex turned back to him and understood what he had to do. Greg was, after all, standing there, dressed in leather, stroking his cock, and pointing at the floor in front of him. Alex quickly got into position, now used to doing this extra work.

"Sorry, sir," Alex said as he took hold of his master's cock.

"Yeah, so you should be. Get on with it. I've got three cute boys to fuck up tonight," Greg said.

"Yes, sir, right away," Alex said.

That was the last thing he said before he gently took his cock into his mouth. Then he simply lost himself in pleasure as he felt Greg harden in his mouth. There was something incredibly intimate and tender about this specific job that Greg paid him to do, and he adored it. Sure, he was employed to dress and care for his master anyway, but this extra job always pleased him the most.

That Greg not only trusted, but _wanted_ , Alex to do this for him thrilled him. Alex was not used to being sexually desired, least of all by a man like Greg. But from the moment Greg first asked, Alex was hooked, daring to imagine that Greg fancied him enough to sleep with him one day, even if the prospect terrified him. After all, Greg was a giant of a man, far more sexually experienced than he was. Alex felt sure he would only disappoint him. So he would content himself with perfecting this job instead.

He'd done this so often now that he knew just what Greg loved, and also just when to stop, when Greg was hard enough, and ready to fuck other people. This was not a mechanical chore by any means; Greg was definitely enjoying himself, and Alex prided himself on that as much as anything else. And Greg did have a lovely cock that felt so good in his mouth. Just once he'd love to be allowed to make him come, to finish the job he'd started, but he'd never ask for it. That wasn't his job. He was here to make sure Greg's night went perfectly by preparing his cock properly.

Greg was softly stroking his hair, then whispered an 'oh God' as Alex slowly dragged his mouth back along his cock. He paused a moment to gently suck the head, knowing he was almost done. Greg reached down to grab his chin and Alex looked up at him with happy, glazed eyes.

"Yes, sir?" Alex asked.

"How the fuck did you get so good at that? Jesus Christ. No more of that or you'll ruin my night," Greg said. "Though I wouldn't be mad about that when you're so good. Fuck."

Alex blushed bright red. "Oh, thank you, sir. I just do what makes you feel good, sir."

"Fuck. Enough of that, I think," Greg said.

"Yes, sir." Alex back on his heels, gazing adoringly up at him as Greg slipped a cock ring on himself. His cock looked magnificent, all swollen and hard and beautiful. Alex loved the sight of it and wanted to keep worshipping it. Greg smiled and cupped his cheek.

"Thank you, boy. You always do such a good job for me," Greg said.

"I'm very glad you enjoyed it, sir. I enjoy it too, sir, very much. I like making you happy, sir," Alex said.

"I know you do. I'm glad I have you with me," Greg said.

Alex thrilled at the soft affection in his voice. In another lifetime, perhaps they'd have been lovers, but Alex was content enough to be his body servant, taking care of him and doing all the little jobs he didn't want to do because it made his life easier. These little moments of tenderness were what Alex lived for. This is why he stayed.

"Go on, go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow," Greg said, leaning down to kiss his forehead.

Alex closed his eyes a moment and smiled as Greg brushed his cheek with his thumb one last time before he left him alone, heading off to the part of the house where Alex wasn't allowed to go.

"Yes, sir, thank you, sir," Alex whispered, his fingers unconsciously touching his cheek where Greg's fingers had just been.

* * *

Once he heard a door close, Alex got up off his knees and headed back into the kitchen, ostensibly to make himself some supper. He noticed there were a few things he needed to put away, which just put his head in a tidying mood, as he made sure the rest of the house was spotless enough for his anxious mind. He didn't like leaving the place untidy, not if Greg was having guests over.

As he made a sweep through the living room, he noticed a little blue book sticking out of one of the bookshelves. Hating to leave it sitting out like that, he went to push it back in, only to notice there was a piece of paper sticking up out of the top. Not wanting to crush it in case it was important, he took it out to straighten the paper and paused when he saw just what was on that piece of paper.

It was a photo. Definitely Greg, though maybe from years ago. He was doing-... doing something to a boy pushed against a wall. Well. A young man, really. Not- not attacking him. No. They both seemed, well, they were topless at the very least. Alex was naively innocent in a lot of ways, but not innocent enough not to recognise sex things when he saw them, even if he didn't know what on earth they were doing. It was the way Greg was possessively grasping the boy's chin, smiling, their faces inches apart, the boy's hands seemingly pinned above his head by Greg's hand. It was undeniably erotic. His pants grew uncomfortably tight. Alex had not been prepared for it.

A sharp knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and Alex quickly set the photo back inside the book and shut it, setting it back on the shelf as he headed out to greet his master's guests. There were indeed three boys waiting on the step, all dressed fairly normally, and Alex recognised them all. Russell, Josh, and Jon, if Alex remembered their names correctly. He'd never been given a lot of time to get to know them, to be fair. Alex gestured them inside, hoping he did not look as flustered as he felt.

"Ahh, yes, Greg said to expect you," Alex said.

"Thanks, Alex. We'll try to keep the noise down this time, yeah?" Russell said, patting his shoulder.

Alex smiled shyly. "Oh, don't worry, I have earplugs, I won't hear a thing. Have a good night."

"Yeah, you too, mate. G'night!" Russell said as he led the way down the hall to the back of the house, the other two following behind him.

Alex watched them go into the room at the back, where Greg had come out to greet them and hugged them warmly. Once they were inside, and the door closed, Alex felt that was his moment to leave. He quickly grabbed the supper he'd prepared earlier before making a beeline for the caravan that sat just outside on the driveway where he lived.

* * *

The caravan was his little haven. Sure, it was small, and he couldn't stand upright in it, but it was enough. It was the only space that was really his, where Greg would let him do whatever he liked there, within reason, of course. It was still Greg's caravan. But he could put up pictures of his family, and have his own books and games and things here to remind him of home.

Sure, he also had a picture of Greg here too, one that Greg had decided he didn't want up anymore during a redecorating binge a few years ago, saying that he didn't like it. Alex had found it in a box in the shed and taken it for his own little space as a reminder of who he served and lived for. It was a lovely portrait of him too, where he was smiling and happy, just sitting out in a park somewhere. Alex liked that side of Greg. It reminded him of all the small affectionate moments they shared. That was the real Greg, the Greg he loved. Not the grumpy tyrant he could sometimes be if Alex caught him in a bad mood.

He switched a couple of lamps on and sat at the little table to eat his supper and read for a bit. He was tired. It had been a long day, and getting lost in this novel was taking his mind off the little blue book, which he was definitely not thinking about, absolutely not. He was at least glad that he'd remembered to shower after he'd given Greg his dinner, so he didn't need to risk running back into the house and potentially seeing naked boys in puppy masks running around the house like the last time he'd gone to shower while Greg had guests over.

Thankfully, the only sound he could hear was the traffic outside. The house was mercifully quiet. He needed the quiet tonight. He'd spent the day running errands and hardly had time to stop, so it was nice to be on his own at last. He ate his supper quickly, and after he'd read for a while, he decided it was time for bed.

There was a part of him that didn't appreciate setting up the bed every night and taking it down in the morning, but he was so used to it now that it was just another part of his routine, even if an annoying one. At least it didn't take as long to do now as when he first started this job. A few minutes later, his bed was ready, and he was in his pyjamas, with a cup of tea sitting on the little bench, curled up in a pile of blankets and pillows to stave off the cold as he called his wife like he usually did. He liked her voice to be the last thing he heard before he went to sleep. She sounded tired tonight, and he wished he could be there to cuddle her and to feel her fingers brush through his hair. He might have moaned a little wantonly at that thought.

"Miss you, Rach. Been a long day here," Alex said.

"Yeah, you sound tired. Been busy here too. When are you coming home next? The boys really want to see you," Rachel said.

Alex sighed. "A couple of weeks more, I think. I'd have to check his diary. I miss you all too. Not that I hate it here, of course, but you know."

Alex could hear her smile through the phone. "Yeah, I know, babe. Has he been making you run all over town today?"

"Yeah. He's got a few boys over, so you know. Been a long day," Alex said.

Rachel laughed. "You been giving your master very personal service again?"

Alex blushed, feeling his pants tighten just a little at her teasing. "He likes it! And, you know, I like making him happy. You're still alright with it, aren't you? I never - finish, you know. Just get him started."

"Yes, I'm still alright with it. Honestly, just imagining you kneeling before him sucking him off is really quite a hot image to go to bed to. You do still enjoy it, don't you?" Rachel said.

"Of course I do. I mean, I'd never tell him that, of course, it's not that kind of ... thing, but I do like it," Alex said. "And before you ask, I'm not asking him to take photos. I wouldn't want to put him in that kind of position."

Rachel laughed. "You're blushing now, I can just tell. I wasn't even going to ask about that, but there you are, telling me what you really want me to ask you to do."

Alex blushed deeply. "No, no, it's not - I wouldn't, I-"

"What else do you wanna do with him? Let him fuck you? Come on, I know you fancy him. He's got boys over he's having sex with tonight, and you're stuck out here on your own," Rachel teased.

"Well, yes, but, well, I'm not allowed to do more than let him use my mouth, am I?" Alex said, hoping he wasn't sounding as hysterical as he felt. "I wouldn't want to do anything else without your permission!"

Rachel laughed again, and god did Alex love the way she laughed, even if she was laughing at him and his stupid brain. "Oh, God, Alex, just fucking sleep with him already. It'll do you a world of good. I don't even mind as long as you're not keeping secrets, alright?"

Alex made an embarrassing noise. The very thought of even asking Greg for sex had never occurred to him, nor would he ever go that far. That was too much. It didn't stop him thinking about it, of course, but he wouldn't do it. He was sure Greg wouldn't want him anyway. But he did love being useful to Greg so if he wanted to use him sexually, Alex was sure he wouldn't mind at all.

"Yeah, you're gonna dream about that tonight, aren't you? How long have you been thinking about fucking him for, hmm?" Rachel teased.

"Oh, well, it's not- can we talk about something else, please?" Alex said, deciding changing the subject was the better course of action than trying to explain himself.

"You're so adorably awkward about sex, it's so cute, Alex," Rachel said.

"Sorry, just how I am, you know that," Alex said, unsure he knew how to change this aspect of his personality.

Rachel chided him for apologising, but Alex knew she was teasing. She did move the conversation on, and they talked about their days until Alex was tired enough to fall asleep. The last thing he heard before he finished the call was Rachel singing a lullaby softly to him. He was asleep soon afterwards.

* * *

Alex was very good at conveniently forgetting things he didn't want to remember. So good was he at forgetting that the incident with the blue book was very quickly set aside in his head and forgotten as he went about his duties. He didn't think about it at all until a couple of months later, when he happened to find that little blue book again, simply sitting out a little bit from the shelf like last time, just enough to bother him.

It did seem odd to him because Greg had been away on holiday all week, so clearly he hadn't noticed in all that time. Then again, he hadn't been here very much. Greg being away was almost time off for him. The house remained very clean, and there were few errands to run and a couple of things to fix that took up his time. He'd been allowed to spend the weekend with his family and sleep beside his wife and hug her and kiss her and remember how she smelt. And, of course, they might've found a moment for sex, which Alex clung to like a charm, not knowing how long it would be before it happened again.

But Greg was due back tomorrow, and so he was back here, having done errands all day that required doing before Greg returned as well as preparing the grocery list for tomorrow so he knew what he had to buy. And because he wanted everything to be perfect for him when he got back, Alex was tidying before bed. Again. Even though there was nothing really to tidy except to brush the very light coat of dust off. But these things mattered to Alex because it reassured Greg that he wasn't just slacking off when he was away. Alex was taking care of his house, as requested.

He remembered what was in that little blue book as soon as he laid eyes on it again, tempted to simply push it back into the shelf and move on. But curiosity got the better of him. Why would Greg leave a book like that lying around? Alex was definitely going to notice it if he left it sticking out like that. It seemed like such a deeply personal thing to leave in the living room where anyone might find it.

He took it off the shelf and held it in his hands. It seemed like a very old book, or, at the very least, had old covers on it, perhaps as a disguise so no one would pay attention to it. The front cover, after all, did proclaim this to be a French-English dictionary.

The Very Sensible part of his brain told him to put that book straight back on the shelf and leave it alone. This was clearly a personal diary of sorts and Alex was not a snoop by nature. On the other hand, why leave it out here where he might invariably find it if it wasn't put back properly? Another small part of his brain suggested that maybe Greg wanted him to find it, and that leaving it ajar like that brought it to his attention so that Alex would definitely touch it.

But that just raised a whole bunch more questions that Alex did not want to face, such as why on earth Greg would want him to see that book in the first place. Greg was so direct and dominant in every aspect of his life, and especially with Alex. If he really wanted Alex to see this, surely he'd just give it to him and tell him to read it? But maybe he was simply testing the waters. If he put it back exactly how he'd found it, Greg wouldn't know he'd touched it, right?

But what was even in it? Was it just a picture slipped into an old book? He hadn't really looked at the pages at all. He'd been too shocked by that photo to even look at the pages. Maybe he was wrong that it was some kind of personal sex diary and just a photo used as a bookmark.

He'd opened the book before he'd consciously decided to, taking a moment to appreciate the decorative papers inside the cover before he turned the page to discover that it was indeed a diary, just with old covers. Though given the first date he found was listed as 1997, perhaps it was also a very old diary too.

There were more pictures. But it wasn't just an album full of rather explicit photos of Greg fucking around with his boys in all kinds of different ways. It was a diary, too. Alex skipped a lot of them because they felt far too personal to read, only taking in words here and there, before he found lists of rules and descriptions of rituals, none of which he understood but was deeply intrigued by, because they detailed service protocols. And not just sexual service, but regular service too, the sort of service he did for Greg!

He wouldn't admit to reading the pages on regular service protocols as deeply as he had, because it was too embarrassing. It also involved an awful lot of kneeling at Greg's feet, which Alex also would never admit to actually wanting to do, because it felt like that's where he should be, at his master's feet. So if this was how Greg liked his regular service to be done, maybe he should do them that way too? Wouldn't Greg like that? He'd be making him happy, and he always liked making Greg happy. But maybe there was a reason Greg hadn't told him to serve this way. Maybe he shouldn't be reading this. That it wasn't for him and he should stop snooping in his master's things.

It was reading through the sexual service protocols that made Alex stop though. There was a lot there, including fluffing him up for sex, and just generally being available for him to use if he needed a fuck, and that brought back all his desire for Greg in a way he hadn't wanted to think about. He might have got a little hard. The very idea of simply stripping down and presenting his butt so Greg could fuck him at any moment was something he had never considered before, but something deep inside him wanted that very much.

That was the point where he closed the book and slipped it back onto the shelf, jutting out as far as it had been when he'd found it, before he decided he couldn't bear to leave the shelves like that and pushed it all the way in.

He turned to leave, ignoring the heat in his pants, and his swelling cock. No. He would absolutely pay no more attention to that book. Absolutely not. He closed the door to the living room and went to the caravan to sleep.

* * *

In spite of the cold night, Alex woke in the middle of the night, dripping with sweat, his cock painfully erect. He knew why he was awake, of course. He'd spent the night dreaming about those pictures in the little blue book. Of being in those pictures. Wondering what it would feel like if he was doing those things too. Bowing at his feet, being put in chains, whipped, tied up with ropes, being used simply for Greg's pleasure and not his own...

He was deeply ashamed that he was so turned on by it. He'd never wanted sex like that before. Indeed, any kind of sex talk made him blush with embarrassment. He wasn't totally useless, of course, because he did love having sex with his wife. It was just nowhere near that interesting. Not that it had ever occurred to him to try anything more adventurous. They were both happy, so why change what worked? It was just nice to, you know.

His hand had drifted to his cock anyway, and it felt good to touch himself. It felt utterly filthy, of course, but so, so nice. He usually didn't do this sort of thing at work. Not here, not in Greg's house. Normally he saved that for when he was with his wife because it made the sex feel so much better if he'd denied himself beforehand. But he couldn't stop it now. He needed to come or he'd be a wreck tomorrow. And if he was going to do this, better do it while Greg was away and not able to observe him, so he had time to make sure his sheets didn't stink like he'd been wanking.

All of that anxious thought disappeared as soon as he started seriously stroking himself though. The very idea that Greg might know what he'd been doing had flooded him with arousal, and he simply needed to come as fast as possible.

He was definitely whining pathetically. He was aware of that much. Painfully aware that he'd also never been this turned on before, not even as a horny teenager. Just kept stroking himself, adding spit for lube every now and then, until his cock finally stopped aching and went soft. He was sure he'd come at least three times. He was covered in jizz. The caravan stunk. He really ought to shower. And wash his sheets. God, he was a mess.

He lay there once he was done for a few minutes, needing to make sure he didn't need to keep going, before he sat up and got out of bed. He grabbed a clean set of pyjamas from the chest of drawers and set them aside as he pulled on his dressing gown and slippers, grabbed the house keys, pulled all his sheets into his arms, and carried them into the house. He made a second trip just to grab his clean pyjamas and the things he'd need for a shower. He'd probably be up the rest of the night, but better get it done now than let it wait till later.

* * *

There was a satisfying tedium in the process of washing his clothes and sheets. He showered first, just to make himself clean, then threw the dirty clothes in with the first lot of sheets, then went to deodorise the caravan. Then he proceeded to make himself a cup of tea while he waited. He was definitely not sleepy - nor horny - anymore.

Inevitably, he ended up in the living room, sitting on the sofa with his tea nearby, waiting for the washing to finish. He wished he'd thought of what exactly to do now while he was waiting, because without a distraction, his brain merely fixated on the dreams, which led to him grabbing that little blue book again and sitting down on the sofa to read it properly, taking in all the information it contained, subsumed with a desire to understand this book, and himself, and why he found himself so drawn to it.

* * *

The house was strange at night. Greg had all kinds of odd and weird decor anyway, but the house itself was also strange. It had an intense stillness and silence to it that an ordinary suburban house didn't have. Maybe it was because it was near a golf course, and there were no other houses around to create human noise. Sure, there were cars driving by, but Alex wanted to talk to another human being, he'd have to go elsewhere. There was no one around. No one else lived here when Greg wasn't there. It was just Alex, in this old weird house, away from everyone.

Well, no, he wasn't strictly alone. Greg was here too, some of the time, when he wasn't out working or on holiday or meeting with friends. But when Alex wasn't doing all of Greg's little jobs, he generally didn't go into the house at all, unless he was showering or doing his laundry. The caravan was self-contained enough for everything else he needed. Of course, if Greg hadn't been coming back tomorrow, Alex would simply have left this till tomorrow. But that wasn't an option now, so here he was, washing and drying his sheets, trying not to think about the eerie silence in the house.

There were very few sounds here at night. Passing traffic, trains, of course, and occasionally boats on the river. Maybe some other sounds that carried across the water, but that was really it. Other than that, and the sound of the washing machine going right now, it was very, very quiet, and very, very dark. Alex often thought someone could be murdered here and no one would find out for days. After all, they were very close to the river, and to a golf course, and of course, the trains. Plenty of opportunity to dispose of a body if you needed to.

Alex had never been brave enough to ask why Greg had bought the house to begin with, but if he was doing, well, some of the things in that little blue book, perhaps being away from prying eyes was a good thing. Some of them did seem like they might make a lot of noise, after all.

* * *

There were positions, Alex discovered, as he read on. Service positions. The blue book had photographs of all of them, and Alex couldn't help trying them out, seeing if he could mimic the positions in the book to know how they felt. He imagined standing to attention by the door, like a servant in a big house, waiting to be called. Kneeling beside the dining table while his master ate. Sitting on the floor.

He didn't dare look at the more sexual positions bar a quick glance at them, however. That was very much Too Much for him. There were a lot of erect dicks. But the very idea that he would be required to present himself - naked! - to his master for inspection made him feel something he didn't know how to articulate.

That might have been the point where he realised the house was too quiet, and that it was time to put another load of washing on, and make another cup of tea. It's not like he'd be sleeping any time soon.

* * *

Alex woke, which was definitely a surprise to him, a few hours later, with the sun streaming in through the sides of the blinds. He looked at his watch: just past 9:30am. It took him a moment to work out why he was sleeping on Greg's sofa, in his dressing gown and slippers, with that small blue book sitting beside him. Then it hit him. He scrambled to his feet.

"Oh no. I'd - oh, he'll be home today. I have to finish my washing before he gets back," Alex said.

All Alex focused on was getting all his sheets washed and dried and back out to the caravan. That took a good four hours, in between which he did one final thorough tidy, the food shopping Greg had requested, and had at least four cups of tea and only a light lunch in between on his way home from the shopping. Thank God Greg had messaged to say he'd be late, or he wouldn't have finished in time.

The rest of the afternoon was a rush of cooking then, making sure Greg's dinner was ready for when he did get home. He'd honestly forgotten about the blue book at this point, so anxious about doing a good job for his master. The last thing he did was shower and put on a clean uniform, which he finished doing just as Greg arrived. Alex put his shower things back into their little bag to be taken back to the caravan later, quickly tidied the bathroom, and went to greet his master.

* * *

Alex opened the front door to find Greg pulling his suitcase out of the boot. Alex went over to help him; his master should not be doing these chores now that Alex was here but it seemed Greg was going to do so anyway, leaving them out for Alex to carry in.

"Good evening, sir. How was the flight?" Alex asked.

Before Alex could take his suitcase, Greg had pulled him into a tight hug, which Alex melted into. He didn't get many hugs with Greg like this, but they were always warm, and made him feel safe.

"Hey, Alex, it's good to see you," Greg said, taking a moment to kiss Alex's temple.

Alex smiled at the sensation, and let it simply happen, not daring to pull away until Greg was ready to release him. He sounded tired, Alex noted, but that wasn't a surprise. He just hoped Greg wasn't also grumpy or he'd never hear the end of it tonight, but he didn't seem to be, so perhaps he was in luck.

"You're looking good, Alex," Greg said.

"Oh, thank you, sir. You look good too. Well-rested. How was your trip?" Alex said.

"Good, good. Ready to be home though. Nothing like a four hour flight delay to test your patience. But at least I'm back home with you," Greg said. "How have you been? How's the family?"

"Oh, just fine, sir. I enjoyed my weekend with the kids. Thank you so much for letting me have the time off. I've been working hard while you've been gone to make up for your generosity," Alex said. "Your dinner's all ready when you are, sir."

Greg smiled and patted his cheek softly. "Good boy. Thank you so much, Alex. I think I'm just going to get out of these clothes and settle down for a bit. Bring me a drink when you're done."

"Yes, sir. What would you like to drink, sir?" Alex asked.

"Oh, just a beer will do for now. Thanks, Alex," Greg said. He turned and walked into the house, leaving Alex trailing along behind him, suitcase in hand.

"You're welcome, sir," Alex said.

* * *

Alex took his case back to Greg's bedroom and began unpacking, sorting out the clothes that needed washing, and leaving the rest for later, while Greg undressed and added his clothes to the washing pile.

"Make sure you sort the clothes properly this time. I won't have you ruining my clothes because you haven't taken the time to care for them properly, alright?" Greg said as he pulled some comfy clothes on.

"Yes, sir, I'll check every label this time, I promise," Alex said.

"You'd better, or it's coming out of your wages," Greg said. "I'll be in the living room. I'll tell you when I want to eat."

"Yes, sir, of course," Alex said.

Alex watched him go, long resigned to this fiction that he actually had wages Greg could garnish, when in reality, they'd all agreed it should all go to his wife instead. He didn't have money of his own; Greg said he didn't need it, and Alex agreed. He didn't mind, though, not really, because Greg provided all his food, clothes, and shelter, and any money he needed to complete errands and shopping tasks, so what did he need his own money for? Nothing. His wife needed it more than he did. After all, she had his children to feed and clothe, and that's what mattered most to him.

Alex decided to take a moment to re-sort the dirty clothes, just to make sure he wasn't about to mess this up after being explicitly reminded about a previous mistake. When he was sure he'd sorted them properly, he put the first load on to wash before he took Greg his beer, bringing it to him in the living room, where he had to hide his shock at seeing Greg reading that little blue book without a single word.

"Your beer, sir," Alex said, offering him the tray.

"Ah, thank you, Alex," Greg said, taking the drink. "Any reason why there was a book left out on the table?"

Alex missed his chance to simply say he'd been too busy and hadn't realised it was there, because he panicked and hesitated a little too long, and Greg knew what was up. His guilt made his face blush hot and he wanted to run far, far away rather than be caught looking at things he shouldn't have been looking at.

Greg turned to look up at him, a curious look on his face. "Cat got your tongue, boy? You been snooping in my things? Is that why you look like you've been caught red-handed?"

Something in Alex snapped, and he instinctively knelt before him, hiding his face against the floor. He felt utterly ashamed at what he'd done. He didn't snoop! He didn't! He wasn't like that! But he'd spent hours reading that book last night, and couldn't hide his guilt from his master. His tone wasn't even angry, though Alex felt he had every right to be.

"Well, that tells me more than I think you were hoping for. Why did you read it, Alex? Were you curious? I know I've never said my books were off-limits to you, so I'm not mad that you read it, just interested as to why you were drawn to that book in particular," Greg said.

"It was just sitting out of the shelf a little bit, sir. I noticed it because I know you like your shelves to be so neat and tidy, sir," Alex said, refusing to look at him.

"So why not just push the book back in place and leave it alone?" Greg said.

"There was... I had to put a photo back in place first so I didn't damage it, and I accidentally looked at it, sir. I'm so sorry," Alex said.

"And it made you curious enough to look at the book properly, hey?" Greg said.

"I, uh, yes, sir," Alex said, bracing himself as Greg simply rested his feet on his back as if Alex was nothing more than a footstool. Alex kept still then, since his master was making him be useful again.

"Well, that is a surprise. I'd never have pegged you as the kinky type. You seem far too meek for that," Greg said.

Alex didn't really know what to say to that. He hadn't realised he wanted it either, to be fair, but so much of this situation was new to him, and he didn't understand how on earth to proceed from here, let alone if he even wanted anything to change between them.

Greg didn't press him for an answer though. Alex could hear him drinking his beer and flicking through the pages of the book, seemingly ignoring Alex now. Alex simply stayed where he was, because his job was to be useful to Greg, right? And if Greg wanted to use him as a footstool, then that's what he'd do. He didn't want to move and get in trouble, as if this was somehow beneath him, because it wasn't. He didn't mind how Greg used him, as long as Greg was happy.

Alex found his mind went into a weird state of calm like this. Greg's feet were not exactly light, but at least he didn't have shoes on, so there was nothing sharp digging into his back. He simply kept his curled up bowing position, letting his breathing slow, as he thought about nothing more than keeping his position. Footstools don't move, after all.

After a while, he lifted his head just a little bit, to ease the rush of blood, and tried to shift his arms to stop them feeling like he was pressing down too hard on his elbows. This was greeted by a sharp command from Greg, breaking the silence.

"I don't believe I told you to move, boy," Greg said.

"Sorry, just, felt a bit dizzy," Alex said, attempting an explanation.

"Well, you should've thought about that before you bowed at my feet, shouldn't you?" Greg said.

"Yes, sir, sorry sir," Alex said, definitely feeling like he'd done something wrong.

"Why are you tolerating this, Alex? This isn't part of your job," Greg said, softening his tone.

"I don't know! Because it's helpful to you? And my job is to be helpful to you?" Alex said, unsure of his answer as he spoke.

Greg immediately removed his feet and reached down to slap his thigh. "Get up. Let me look at you."

Alex took the slap without complaint and got to his feet, finding himself looking up at Greg's curious face. Alex decided to simply stand still until told to do otherwise. Greg grasped his chin softly and seemed to peer at him, as if looking for something.

"How'd the book make you feel when you read it?" Greg asked, his voice now gentle and kind. "There's no wrong answers here, Alex. I'm just curious about why you read it and what you took from it. I use it as a teaching aid for my boys, so don't feel guilty for reading it. I use it all the time. So how did it make you feel?"

Alex inhaled sharply. "Uh, well. I-uh, sir, I..."

Greg smiled and cupped his cheek. "Well, it either got you hard or turned you off it completely, which is it?"

"The first one, sir. That. Yes. The first one," Alex said, his face burning red with embarrassment for even saying that much to him.

Greg laughed, but it wasn't the kind of laugh that Alex felt humiliated by. It was a laugh of understanding, even if Alex didn't know why that's what it meant.

"If you're really interested in kink and what I do with my boys, take the book and read it properly. Don't speed through it. Sit with it and the rituals it contains. Sit with the words and pictures and see if it's something that you really want. Sit with how it makes you feel. Talk to your wife about it too. And come to me if you want to talk about it. I'm not against teaching you this way of being my servant if it's something you really want, Alex. You don't need to do this, but it's there, if you want it," Greg said, offering him the blue book.

Alex glanced at the book and then back at Greg. The very prospect of being given that book to sit with and read scared him. He wasn't like that. Definitely not. Not with the chains and the whips and the-the kneeling, oh no. Not him. "Oh, uh, oh, I mean... I don't - I was just curious. I don't need- I don't- can I go, sir? There's some work I wanted to do before bed-"

Greg leaned down to kiss his head. "Alright, you're clearly not ready to deal with this, and that's okay. You go do what you need to do. Then you can bring me my dinner, yeah? Getting a bit hungry now, Alex."

"Oh!" Alex had completely forgotten about dinner. "No, sir, you should eat first. My jobs can wait, it's okay. I'll go get your dinner now, sir."

"Bring me another beer while you're there, will you?" Greg said.

Alex nodded as he headed for the door. "Yes, sir, of course."

"And feel free to bring your dinner in, if you haven't already eaten. It'd be nice to eat with you tonight. I've missed you," Greg said.

"You missed me, sir?" Alex said, puzzled, turning back to look at him

"Yeah, I did. Come eat with me. I'd like a bit of company tonight," Greg said.

"Sure thing, boss," Alex said and headed out to the kitchen.

* * *

Alex didn't quite understand why he'd suddenly been invited to eat with Greg for the first time, but wasn't about to say no and disobey him. And it was true, he hadn't eaten dinner yet. He'd been too busy running around doing all the cleaning to stop for dinner. He decided to take Greg his beer first then get their dinners ready. He'd made Greg's already, like a good boy, and it just needed some final prep before serving. For himself, since he too required some dinner so he could eat with Greg, he made a cheese sandwich while he waited. Then it was a few minutes' work to serve Greg's up as nicely and as beautifully as he could before carrying their food into the living room, along with some cutlery, and set the table for them both before serving up.

"Here you are, sir," Alex said, gesturing for Greg to come and eat.

"Ahh, that smells lovely, Alex," Greg said as he got up and sat down to eat.

Only once Greg was seated and ready did Alex take his seat, sitting as far from him as reasonably polite, so he didn't crowd his master.

"You really want to eat with me, sir?" Alex said, needing to be sure.

Greg reached over and touched his hand. "Yeah, I'm sure. Come sit across from me, you look like a lost little child over there away from me."

"Oh, sorry, I just didn't want to get in the way, sir," Alex said.

"Just sit down there, Alex," Greg said, pointing to where he wanted Alex to sit.

"Yes, sir," Alex said, understanding his tone and that he wasn't to be questioned on this matter.

Alex shifted around to sit opposite him, and this honestly felt a little intimidating, and also very intimate. He was staring right at Greg, unable to look anywhere other than at him. Greg reached over to touch his hand again and smiled warmly, and Alex wasn't sure how to react.

"I really did miss you, Alex. I always miss you when you're not here with me. Do you miss me when I'm away, or do you like the peace and quiet?" Greg said.

Alex shrugged. "Bit of both, really, sir. I'm less busy with the routine chores, which means I can get other little jobs done I don't otherwise have time to do, but I do miss having someone to talk to. Not that we talk, of course, but you know. Just knowing there's someone else here with me. Not being here alone, you know? It can feel a bit creepy in the house at night when no one's been in it except me."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. This house definitely has a presence about it, doesn't it? What sort of other jobs do you do when I'm away? What don't you have time for right now that needs doing? I want to make sure you have time for everything," Greg said.

"Oh, it's just boring maintenance work, that's all. Easier to get it done when you're not here so I don't disturb you. If you haven't noticed, then I'm doing my job properly. Though-" Alex paused.

"What is it? Do you need something?" Greg said.

"Yes, but it can wait till tomorrow," Alex said. "There's just a few things I might need to get someone in to fix, but I didn't want to do that without your permission, that's all."

"Oh, right, no, that's fine. We'll discuss it tomorrow," Greg said. "Anyway. How are _you_ doing? Everything okay with you?"

"Oh, uh, yes, sir, all good here. Apart from. Well." Alex didn't want to reference the book, because he was still dealing with that. But apart from that, he really was fine. "I'm sorry I looked in your book, sir. I don't snoop. I promise. That's the only time I've looked at your personal things outside of doing your chores."

"Stop apologising, Alex. I know you were just curious. Maybe getting you to prep me for sex has confused this relationship a little. Do you want that to stop?" Greg said.

"Oh, no, no, I do enjoy that, really, sir! I like being helpful and you seem to enjoy it too, so. I just want to make you happy, sir," Alex said.

Greg laughed warmly, reaching over to cup Alex's cheek softly. "You do make me happy, Alex. And I do enjoy it. You're very good at it, you know."

Alex blushed. "Oh, I don't think I'm that good. I'm not - not even sex. Just too awkward."

"I mean, yes, you are undoubtedly an awkward little man about a lot of things, but trust me, your cocksucking technique is very good, and believe me, a lot of boys have sucked my cock over the years," Greg said.

"Oh, well, thank you, sir. I'm glad I do a good job for you," Alex said.

"Yes, you do. I'm very happy with your service," Greg said. "Oh, and don't think that the service protocols in the blue book are the kind of service I really want from you, because that's definitely not the case. You don't have to give me that kind of service unless it's something you want to do. But maybe I'll show you the rooms at the back of the house I've so far forbidden you from looking in after we've eaten. I think you need to know exactly what's going on before you decide if this discipline is for you or not."

"Yes, sir, that sounds like a good decision to me," Alex said, doing his best to hide his nerves, which were both excited and a little bit scared.

* * *

"Come on, Alex, down here," Greg said, grabbing Alex's hand and pulling him down the corridor towards the back of the house.

Alex was a little tired still, because dinner had taken a long time with a lot of conversation about kink and discipline, but he was also deathly curious about these two rooms now. He'd never been allowed in them, though mostly because Greg insisted they were his private space and their cleaning and care was none of Alex's concern. And now, there they were, standing in front of the door he'd spent all his time glancing at from the other side of the house, unsure what on earth was inside.

"I'm assuming you're clever enough to have worked out that a lot of sexual activity happens in this room. Not all of it, mind, but a lot of it does. I keep you out of this mostly because I don't see it as your job to clean up after my sex parties. I get my boys to do it, and then do a thorough clean myself once they're gone. There's no need for you to be involved with all of this. That's why I forbid you from these rooms. They're none of your concern, at least while you're simply my live-in assistant. But since you've read the blue book now, and might be interested in taking up my discipline, I think it's time you saw these rooms and what they contain. Ask any questions you like. I'm not going to keep anything secret, alright?" Greg said.

"Yes, sir, thank you, sir," Alex said. "So why are there two rooms? Do you use them both for sex?"

"No, this one here," Greg indicated the door they were standing in front of, "is the dungeon. The other room is for aftercare, where I take care of my boys properly after a scene. A lot of that usually involves massages, chocolate, and cuddles. I'll show you that now, if you like. There's nothing scary in there, I promise, just soft lovely things."

"Oh, okay, sir," Alex said. "I mean, I believe you, you don't need to-"

"Nonsense. I said I'd show you these rooms, Alex, so let me show you them, so you're not just sneaking around wondering what's really behind these doors, alright?" Greg said.

"Alright, sorry, just - don't want to pry," Alex said.

"You're hardly prying if I'm showing you around, Alex. Come on," Greg said, taking his hand.

Greg took Alex over to the aftercare room, on the adjacent wall, and opened the door for him. It was indeed a fairly soft comforting room, done in a pale dark pink, with beanbags, a sofa, what looked like a massage table, and other bits of very ordinary furniture, like a small bar fridge, and a chest of drawers, and a small cabinet of some kind.

"See? Nothing scary here," Greg said.

"No, definitely not," Alex said.

"That sofa turns into a futon if necessary. And this is where most of the chocolate goes that you buy for me all the time, in case you were wondering. It never lasts long, so it's a regular purchase. But it's so very good for bringing boys back to earth after I've whipped them senseless," Greg said.

Alex shivered at that thought, not sure how to parse the idea of being whipped senseless. He'd always presumed Greg just ate all the chocolate, given it was a regular purchase every week or two. He never imagined it was for this purpose.

"I'll take your word for it, sir," Alex said. "So I guess all the scary things are in the other room, yes?"

Greg laughed gently. "Something like that, yeah. Though I do keep most of my toys in the hall cupboard outside. You wanna see them all?"

"You're going to show me anyway, aren't you? Whether I'm ready or not?" Alex said.

"Just so you know, that's all. This is not the time to keep secrets. I'm not going to hide things from you. That way, you can make an informed decision about whether this is something you want," Greg said.

Alex felt a little daunted by his words, but he was right. Alex did feel he ought to know enough to make an informed decision, and knowing what was in here would assuage his curiosity for the moment. "Alright, show me the toy cupboard."

"Come on, it's very extensive," Greg said.

Greg closed the door to the aftercare room and took Alex over to the hall cupboard and slid the doors open. Alex hadn't known what to expect, but it was very well organised. One section was for Greg's leathers, which at least answered the question as to where those were kept, because Greg had never let him get them out when dressing him, and he'd never been tasked with cleaning them. Then it was simply a wall of whips, chains, floggers, gags, masks, and god knows what else, all hanging from the wall. There were a few chests and sets of drawers as well, clearly for other toys that couldn't hang. It was all very overwhelming. Alex had never expected this much gear.

"Extensive is the word, alright. That's a lot of toys," Alex said.

"It's taken me near thirty years to collect it, but I'm quite proud of it. I've got something for almost every kink that exists, which is good because some of my boys have quite specific tastes," Greg said.

"Oh, right, yes, of course, I guess that's wise then," Alex said.

"Yeah, comes with experience, Alex," Greg said. "Any further questions about the toy cupboard? I suspect a lot of this is mostly unfamiliar to you?"

Alex nodded. "I mean, apart from the obvious ones, yes, it's all new to me. I wouldn't know how to use any of this."

"That's okay. I wouldn't expect you to. I certainly didn't when I was first starting out. I had to be taught, just how I teach my boys today. Of course I wouldn't expect you to want to try everything here. No one really does. Every boy knows what they're mostly drawn to, so I work with that. Anything take your fancy?" Greg said.

Alex inhaled sharply. "I-uh, well, uh, no, not yet, sir. It's too much, I think. Seeing all this. Sorry, sir."

Greg brought a comforting arm around his shoulder. "No, no, that's okay. It is a bit overwhelming seeing it all laid out like this. We'll leave this for now and I'll show you the dungeon itself."

"Yes, sir," Alex said.

Alex let Greg guide him over to the dungeon, and Alex knew he'd been the most curious about this room. He'd often catch a glimpse of it down the hall, wondering what was in there, given it was out of bounds for him. He presumed that since it was Greg's private space, he could do anything he liked with it, and Alex was totally alright with that. He'd just never imagined a sex dungeon, that's all.

"You ready, Alex?" Greg said, a hand on the doorknob.

"Yes, I'm ready," Alex said. He took a deep breath as Greg opened the door and led him inside.

The room was nothing like what Alex imagined it to be. It was dark, of course, but plushly dark. The carpet was a charcoal colour, and soft to walk on, while the walls and ceiling matched the shade. Some kind of wooden four poster bed sat against one wall, perhaps a double, with all kinds of rings and hooks and other sort of attachment points all over it. It had a canopy of plush red velvet, with matching sheets, and looked extremely comfortable.

In the left corner by the window was a very plush red chair, almost a throne if the back was taller, made of a similar material that matched the bed, with a matching footstool and side table. Alex assumed this must be the red chair referenced in many of the rituals in the book. There was also a little plush rug in front of the footstool, presumably for kneeling boys.

Over on the other side by the window was a large X-shaped frame and a smaller A-frame stand with padded bits on it that looked like it was intended to have someone lying on it face down. There was also a wooden chest, and a few select floggers and whips on the wall.

"This is the dungeon, Alex. There's so much to explain in terms of what everything's used for, but I won't bombard you with all of that information just yet. Feel free to look around and ask questions. You can touch things if you want. I don't mind. It'll need a good clean before my boys come round next anyway so you won't be messing anything up," Greg said.

"Oh, sure, um, it's lovely, sir. I guess I didn't expect ... softness? But it's very soft in here. In a dark sort of way," Alex said.

"Were you imagining some sort of castle dungeon made of stone and chains hanging everywhere, were you?" Greg said with a laugh.

Alex blushed. "Well, maybe, just a little bit. I didn't really have another reference point, so."

"Yeah, that happens a lot, but it's okay. You're new to this, so I don't expect you to know anything. Go on, have a look around. See how it makes you feel," Greg said, encouragingly.

"You sure? I don't want to break anything," Alex said.

"You're not going to break anything by looking at it, Alex, I promise," Greg said.

"Alright, sorry, thank you, sir," Alex said.

Cautiously, Alex walked over to the bed and brushed his fingers across the sheets. They did indeed feel very soft. Part of him felt awfully shy about touching things, but Greg had said it was alright, so. He let his gaze move up one of the posts, seeing the iron rings. He touched one, just to feel the weight of it. It felt heavier and more solid than he expected. It was also cold to touch.

"You tie people to these rings, don't you?" Alex said.

"Sometimes, yeah. Not always with rope, mind, sometimes with chains. Do you want to know what that feels like?" Greg said.

Alex was glad he wasn't looking at Greg when he asked that because he was blushing again. He'd dreamed about that, if he was honest. Being chained up like a dog. It had felt ... nice. Like, he sometimes felt the caravan was like a kennel, where his master sent his working dog to sleep at night before letting him out in the morning. Not that Greg ever locked him in like that, but sometimes, that's what it felt like. The caravan was his kennel, and he was simply Greg's little pet that he kept around for comfort. Alex had never realised how ... okay ... he was with that idea before. Perhaps this was why. After all, he had seen the naked puppies once. So being Greg's puppy wasn't that far-fetched an idea.

Alex slipped his shoes off without being asked (he didn't want to mess up the lovely sheets!) and shifted up onto the bed, sitting on his heels, gazing at all the attachment points. He looked back at Greg, who was still standing by the door, apparently just happy to stand back and watch Alex explore.

"What do you mean, exactly, sir?" Alex said, trying to parse his own feelings about the question.

"Well, do you want to know what being chained to the bed feels like? I know this is all new and you're not even sure yet, but the offer's there. Sometimes you need to try something to know if it's what you want, right?" Greg said.

"Hmm, I guess so."

Alex moved on his knees to the foot of the bed and grabbed hold of the posts, trying to get a sense of what it might feel like to be bound like that. It did feel interesting, and weirdly vulnerable, given Greg's closeness. His cock was right there if Greg wanted to simply reach out and touch him, and he was surprised by the part of his brain that very much wanted that to happen.

That did indeed spur Greg to move, and he moved in front of him and pressed his hands down over Alex's hands, keeping him from pulling away. The pressure wasn't painful, but it did make a point, and Alex almost immediately stopped wanting to run away. Not that he'd wanted to run away, of course. It just made him stop.

"How does that feel? Like not being able to escape?" Greg said.

Alex noticed that his whole body had gone limp. There was no fight in him. No desire to struggle. He felt helpless, but in a weird sort of way. Not in a bad way. He bowed his head, though didn't quite understand why, and shivered as he felt Greg kiss his head softly.

"I-I think I like this? You could do anything to me right now and I'd accept it," Alex said, once he'd figured out what words he needed.

Greg let go of his hands and stepped back to look at him. Alex didn't take his hands away, didn't really want to. Just stayed where he was, waiting to see what Greg might do next.

"Would you like me to try tying your wrists to the bed?" Greg said.

"Yes, please, sir," Alex breathed before he'd really registered the decision in his head.

"Alright, I'll go get my cuffs," Greg said. "Sit on your heels and get comfy. Stay, boy."

"Yes, sir," Alex said.

Alex lowered his head, made himself comfortable, and simply waited for Greg to return. He closed his eyes, breathing, just getting used to being in this position. His arms were long enough to reach fairly comfortably, but there was still enough tension that he felt it in his shoulders.

"Here we go, I got my softest ones out for you so I don't hurt you," Greg said as he took Alex's left wrist.

Alex didn't look up, simply let it happen, feeling something furry and soft be bound to his wrist and then fastened to the bed. Now he couldn't move away even if he wanted to, though he could still reach the posts if he needed to. His hands were close enough for that. Greg did the other wrist and then stepped back to admire his work. Alex simply fell into a very calm headspace, accepting that Greg could do whatever he wanted to him because he was his master.

"Well, that is a surprise. I didn't think you'd fall so quickly," Greg said.

"Hmm?" Alex said, only half-listening.

Greg lifted his chin and made Alex look at him. "You feel all floaty and warm, right? Calm? Peaceful? Like there's nothing in your head at all?"

Alex could only smile and nod happily. "Yes, sir, oh god, yes, sir."

"I think you'll find that's subspace. Not bad for a first try. Not that I was expecting you to get there, I just thought you'd like to try being tied up for a bit. How are your arms feeling?" Greg said.

Alex shrugged helplessly. Didn't know, didn't care, just wanted Greg to tell him what to do. Or even just strip him down and do things to him. He was sure he wouldn't mind that either.

"You can grip the posts if you want to give your arms a rest, Alex. I don't want to tire you out," Greg said.

Alex shook his head, absolutely certain he did not want to give in to that. He knew he could grab the posts, but he didn't want to.

"I want... I don't know, something," Alex said, trying to articulate the feelings in his head.

"What do you want? More restraints? Fewer restraints? Need to change position? Need to stop? Talk to me, Alex," Greg said.

Alex lowered his head to the point where he was staring straight at the floor. "Collar, please, I need-" He paused. He wasn't sure what he needed, exactly, just, his neck was feeling extremely naked, and he needed it to not be naked right now.

Greg laughed, but it was a kind laugh. "Boy, how long have you been thinking about this for? That's not the sort of thing that comes from one night spent reading that book. How long ago did you find it?"

"F-few months ago, sorry. Got scared. Had some dreams, though. Good dreams. And-and just the last two nights, sir, sorry. Oh, God, the- _hhhhhhh_ ," Alex ran out of words to describe the dreams from the night before and simply exhaled, trying not to think about how painfully aroused those dreams had made him.

"Ahh, that explains why you were washing your sheets. I did notice that, Alex," Greg teased.

Something welled up inside Alex at that moment and he felt tears forming in the corner of his eyes. He didn't want to cry, but just suddenly felt like it, like he'd utterly disappointed him and his shame was obvious to him. He'd never felt that humiliated in his life, and to top it all off, his cock was growing hard, too. That just made the humiliation, and his erection, worse. Why on earth was he getting off on this? What was wrong with him?

"I'm so sorry, I don't know why I'm like this. Why am I like this? I've never wanted anything like this before. I don't understand why I like this," Alex said, pushing back the urge to cry. "But I do like it. I like feeling helpless like this. I just don't understand why."

Greg lifted Alex's head and gently wiped the little tears away. Alex looked up at him, unsure what to do with all the feelings he was feeling right then. Greg's calm, confident control helped Alex feel safe being this vulnerable with him. Greg seemed concerned only with his wellbeing and safety, and that was enough for him to trust him. That whatever he was feeling was okay, even if he didn't quite believe that right now.

"What do you need right now, Alex? Do you want me to release you?" Greg said.

"No, no, not yet. Collar, Greg. Need to be still. Properly still. Want to know what that feels like," Alex said, his curiosity getting the better of his anxiety.

Greg kissed his forehead. "Alright. I'll go get a collar and a chain. Just stay here and breathe slowly. Count to four in your head as you breathe in and out if that will help. Hold the posts until I get back. I think I might blindfold you too. I think you need that right now."

"Yes, sir, thank you, sir," Alex said, focusing on his breathing as he grabbed the posts. After all, he had been ordered to do so.

Greg left the room, leaving Alex on his own. Alex didn't mind, though. He knew Greg wasn't going anywhere. His tone of voice was still so soft and caring, full of concern for him as he tried this new thing. Alex appreciated that so, so much. It helped him shift his focus to his breath, counting to four as he breathed in, held his breath, then exhaled to a count of four, which did help.

Greg returned with a soft black collar and a chain, as well as a blindfold and climbed onto the bed behind him. Alex felt so safe with Greg pressed up close to him like that.

"Alright, now, do tell me if this feels uncomfortable at all and I'll release you. Wearing a collar for the first time can feel really strange, but that's not unusual, alright?" Greg said as he unbuckled the collar and slipped it around Alex's neck. "Now, how tight do you want it? Is that too tight?"

"No, sir, that feels fine," Alex said. It did feel a bit odd, but also very right. The soft fur was also weird, because he hadn't seen that kind of collar in any of the photos so not having a hard leather collar did surprise him a little. He didn't mind though, it did feel very nice.

"Well, we'll see how you feel once the chain's attached," Greg said.

"Yes, sir," Alex said.

He felt Greg buckle the collar up and then click a chain onto rings on either side of his neck. He knew when Greg had attached him to the top of the bed frame because he suddenly couldn't move his neck very much at all. He did feel supported though.

"How's that? Is that enough chain? I wanted to give you a little bit of extra slack since this is your first time and you don't know how to behave when you're chained up like this," Greg said.

"It feels good, sir. Should I not pull on it then?" Alex said, unsure how to move now that Greg had mentioned that there was a proper way to behave when chained up.

"No, don't pull on it. Let it help keep your posture. Or," Greg said, pausing a moment to tie the blindfold over Alex's eyes, "let me support you this time, so you don't get scared. I'm going to be right here behind you, Alex. I'm not leaving you alone, alright?"

Alex felt Greg's arms wrap around him, his head leaning on Alex's left shoulder. Alex definitely felt safe here, and simply let Greg support him.

"Now, I want you to listen to my words. And I mean, really listen, alright? Just be still and listen. Think you can do that for me?" Greg said.

"Yes, sir," Alex said.

His world was dark now, dark and still. He concentrated on his breathing, and the sensation of Greg's face pressed close to his, whispering in his left ear.

"I know this is all new to you. I know you're confused about why you suddenly want this. And that's okay. That's normal. There's nothing wrong with you. At the same time, if you decide this isn't for you, that's alright too. I don't need you to be my boy in order to work for me. Your service is already good enough in my eyes. I don't need you to wear a collar and bow at my feet and adhere to my discipline if you don't want to, if it's not something you're going to enjoy. However. If this is something you do want, then I will train you, with your wife's permission, of course. Really understand, Alex, that this is 100% your decision to make, not mine. Take all the time you need to process this and ask questions and try things out, if you want. Do you understand that?" Greg said, his voice soft and reassuring.

Alex swallowed, and this tightened the collar around his neck just a little bit. "My choice, sir? This is all my choice?"

"Absolutely. This is your choice, Alex. I can give you information, I can guide you, I can help you figure out if this is something you want, but without your consent to wear my collar, nothing changes between us. Nothing changes without your explicit consent," Greg said.

"Does it have to be ... sexual? This sort of thing? I'm just- unsure about- you know..." Alex trailed off.

"It doesn't have to be, no. And whether it's sexual or not is up to you, and of course your wife. Her consent is just as important as yours," Greg said. "Stop thinking I'm going to expect you to be able to do what I ask without being trained first. That's the whole point of training, Alex. Do remember that."

"Sorry, I know, just, overwhelmed with it all. Just this is- a lot, sir," Alex said. "In a good way, though. I like this?"

"That's good. Just keep still in position for a while. See how you feel about it. I won't touch your dick of course. I don't have that permission. I'm just going to hold you and let you sit with this experience for a while, alright?" Greg said.

"Yes, sir, thank you, sir," Alex said.

The blindfold was beginning to kick in now, of course. Alex had been too focused on Greg's words to focus on the dark helplessness the blindfold offered. But now, with no more words, that was now at the forefront of his mind. Greg's arms were solid and unmoving, strong and stable.

The stillness and the silence felt strange. His body was fixed in a position it had never been in before, and Greg's presence behind him gave him nothing but warmth and weight. It took a while to really begin to trust the restraints and simply let himself relax into them. The ones attached to the collar around his neck took the longest to adjust to, half-afraid that he might choke himself. But there was indeed enough slack for him if he simply sat up straight and let Greg help support him.

Greg's face was pressed against his left cheek. This meant his breathing was easy to hear, and Alex found he synchronised with him after a while, matching his slow, deliberate breathing. Alex was a little surprised there was no teasing, no seductive touching or caressing or anything like that, given how Greg was holding him, but maybe that was simply wishful thinking, and Greg wasn't going to do anything other than hold him for now.

There came a point where a deep peace came over him. He wasn't sure how else to describe it. He was simply at a very happy, calm place in his head, more relaxed than he'd been in a very long time. His breathing slowed too, and his head was empty of thought. He was sort of aware of Greg stroking his hair, but that was all. Everything else was simply this pool of black calm. His whole body was deathly still.

"Ahh, I see you found the deep end. I always know it when they go still like this. Don't be afraid of it, Alex. It's simply subspace. Just let it fill you and feel whatever comes to the surface. Squeeze my hand twice when you want to come back," Greg said, moving to grab Alex's left hand in his.

Alex felt that, and he heard Greg's soft, distant voice. He didn't move yet, but he gently squeezed Greg's hand once, just to reassure himself that he could still move.

"Good boy," Greg murmured.

Greg's praise, in that moment, flooded up his spine. He'd never felt so overwhelmingly happy before. That happiness stayed with him, just gently filling his heart with something he couldn't explain. Nothing sexual was happening, and yet, Alex felt so much closer to Greg than he'd felt before. There was definitely something about that book, and the discipline it offered, that Alex felt inexplicably drawn to, he knew that with utter clarity now. He didn't understand why, but if it meant feeling like this, being bound to Greg for life, well, that didn't make him feel sad at all.

"Thank you, sir," Alex breathed, unable to capture how he felt any other way. No words seemed enough.

Greg pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Any time, Alex."

The genuine warmth in his voice then made Alex melt into a million tiny pieces. He'd sort of always been aware that Greg seemed to like him, but he'd always assumed it was just Greg being personable. He never really assumed there was anything more than a professional relationship there. But now he wasn't so sure that's all they were, and wanted to know when Greg had decided he genuinely liked him.

Alex sat with that feeling for a while before curiosity once again got the better of him, and his mind had thoughts that required coming out of this calm space to contemplate. He forced himself to squeeze Greg's hand twice, and breathed out slowly, trying to shake it off.

"Done, are we? Alright, just listen to my voice, and begin to become aware of my touch. Don't worry, it won't be anything sexual. Just softness. Focus on the feeling of my touch, and the sound of my voice. Come back to my voice. Slowly, slowly, Alex, don't rush. Think of it as if you're waking from a deep sleep, or a general anaesthetic. Consciousness comes slowly, as it should. Count to a hundred if you like, if that will help you focus. Just breathe, and rise, that's all I want you to do now," Greg said.

Alex did exhale deeply then, trying to turn his mind back to his body. The lull of subspace still had a firm hold on him, but Greg was murmuring to him, softly, sweetly, and Greg's hands were tracing soft circles on the palms of his hands. Perhaps, without making the decision, he started counting in his head, but he wasn't really aware of it.

At some point, Alex felt his body. Felt the way Greg was very gently drawing his fingernails across his palms, just adding a slightly different sensation for him to focus on. He was still following Greg's voice, and his instructions, hoping he was doing this right, as he came back to him. He was possibly at about 50, but the numbers were simply slowly increasing in his head, and he didn't seem to have much control over them, just that it seemed to be waking him up.

By the time he was ready to open his eyes, the fact that the blindfold had already been removed was a bit of a surprise. He'd sort of felt it being taken off, but he'd been focused on other things The numbers had become a little more conscious now too, though somehow he'd got to 277, and he simply kept going till he got to 300 because it seemed to be helping, and he wanted to finish on a round number.

"Hey there. Welcome back, Alex. Let me get you out of those restraints, and I'll give you a little aftercare. We've been going for over an hour, and I'm sure you're very tired now," Greg said.

"Hmm, yeah, I guess," Alex said, his head in such a blank daze he couldn't really process the concept of time.

And then, once he was free, Greg lay him down beside him on the bed, holding him close. Alex hadn't realised he'd needed that. His body was definitely sore though and stiff from being still for so long, but being held by Greg helped him feel safe.

"You just lie there as long as you want. When you're a little more awake, I'll massage you. I want you to sleep beside me tonight too, so I can make sure you're okay. You went very deep for a first timer, and I want to make sure you don't drop on me," Greg said.

"Okay, sure, that sounds nice," Alex replied, not really parsing that properly.

Greg kissed his temple. "You'll be okay, Alex. I'm here. I'll take care of you."

"Yes, daddy," Alex murmured, his eyes closing again as that deep peace and love filled him once more. He felt absolutely incredible.

* * *

There was a massage, Alex remembered that. Greg made him undress down to his pants and simply rubbed his body down with his big, strong hands. He'd used some sort of scented oil, and the smell was making him feel so very relaxed. Greg paid particular attention to his wrists and his legs, easing out all the knots from being still and bound for the first time. Alex might have moaned with need as Greg massaged his hands, because no one had ever massaged his hands before, and he'd simply got used to them hurting.

Alex was sure he'd have been perfectly fine with that, but Greg insisted on a nice warm bath, and Alex wasn't going to say no to that either. Greg asked to stay, and sat with his back to the bath, so he wasn't looking at Alex's body, and simply chatted to him about his holiday, giving Alex something else to think about while he recovered. Every now and then, Greg would show him pictures he'd taken on his phone, and Alex enjoyed that. It was so mundane, but also so very soft and relaxing. He never felt Greg was hurrying him at all, and the bubbles made the bath feel extra special.

This, of course, naturally led to pyjamas and tea and toast and snuggling in bed together, where Greg got him talking about the scene and how he'd felt about it, and how he was feeling now. Alex hadn't expected Greg to be this considerate and concerned about his well-being, but he appreciated it, because it helped him understand and process his experiences. He definitely didn't regret a moment of it. He'd do it again if it meant feeling that peaceful again.

* * *

"Still feeling good, Alex?" Greg asked later on as they lay down together, Alex curled up by his side, resting his head on his chest

Alex nodded. "Oh yes, still good. Very tired, but good. Happy. I don't think my brain's ever been this empty before. I'm not anxious about anything."

"That's good. You're getting the day off tomorrow, Alex. Don't you dare do a skerrick of work, understand?" Greg said.

"Yes, sir, I understand," Alex said. "Thank you, sir. I do appreciate it."

"Good boy. You just let me take care of you tomorrow. That's all I want you to do. That's an order," Greg said, kissing his temple.

Alex simply smiled. "Yes, sir, thank you, sir."

* * *

Alex woke to the feeling of Greg's arm around him, and that was all he needed to remember the night's events. He wasn't properly awake though, just not properly asleep, and he lay there, eyes still closed, thinking about what he'd done, and how good he'd felt. Even the collar around his neck had felt like it should have been there all along, and it definitely felt strange not to be wearing one now. He definitely wanted to do this again, even if he still didn't know why it appealed to him so much.

He wasn't sure exactly how he was going to talk to his wife about this, but he knew he wanted to, he had to, because there were too many things he wanted to experience with Greg. They'd talked about them too, about all the different things Greg could do to him that were outlined in the little blue book, and Alex wanted to try them all.

He opened his eyes a little and turned to look at Greg then, smiling as he saw him sleeping softly. Without really thinking, he kissed Greg's cheek softly, hoping he wouldn't wake him. Thankfully, his master didn't stir. Still wanting to sleep a little longer, Alex curled up beside him, utterly content.

* * *

Alex woke later on to find Greg gently pulling him into a cuddle, and he smiled at him as he accepted his touch, loving how safe and warm he felt in Greg's arms. Very few people had ever made him feel like this, and he didn't want to let go of this if he could help it.

"Hey sleepyhead. How are you?" Greg said.

"Good, good, yeah. Slept well. Weird to sleep in a proper bed, but I feel good, thank you, sir," Alex said.

Greg pressed a kiss to his head. "That's good. Hey, are you trying to imply the caravan doesn't have a proper bed, though, boy?"

"Well, I mean, to be fair, it hasn't got one big enough for me to stretch out in. I just curl up under my blankets, sir. I'm used to it now," Alex said. "It's my home, simple as it might be. I don't mind. I like it there. But I like it here too."

"Well, as long as you're happy. If there's anything you need in there, let me know," Greg said.

"Yes, sir, I will, thank you," Alex said.

"Good! Now, you just lie there and let me cuddle you, then I'll go make breakfast," Greg said.

"Oh, yes, okay, sir," Alex said, remembering he was meant to be having a day off.

* * *

Greg not only made breakfast, but let Alex eat in bed with him, which Alex thought was very indulgent of him. Far too indulgent, Alex thought, but he said nothing, appreciating the effort Greg had gone to. Alex had assumed Greg didn't cook, which was why he paid Alex to do it, but it seemed he'd been wrong in that assumption. He could definitely do a good fry-up, and it was the sort of food that Alex found very satisfying.

"I hope you're taking your time with that food, Alex. No need to rush this morning," Greg chided.

Alex looked down, realising how quickly he'd been eating. "Oh, sorry, sir. I'm so used to eating fast I forget to take my time. It is good, though."

"Of course it's good, I made it. I know all the best morning after breakfasts that perk my boys right up after a good session. So you'll thank me and take your time with that, Alex," Greg said.

Alex couldn't help bowing his head a little. "Sorry, sir, thank you for such a lovely breakfast. I won't rush it, I promise."

Greg reached over to ruffle his hair with a laugh. "Good boy. See? You're learning!"

Alex blushed, but did consciously make himself slow down and enjoy every mouthful while Greg made small talk. It was the sort of normal inconsequential start to the day that Alex didn't get to experience nearly as often as he'd have liked, but it was nice. Greg making him slow down had made his brain slow down too, and he found it easier to relax and not think about work for a change.

Greg had made a pot of tea, which did surprise Alex as he usually didn't bother with tea until later. But sitting back in bed, while Greg brought his arm around his shoulders to hold him close while he drank his tea was so cosy and comforting.

"You really didn't have to do all this for me, sir," Alex said.

"Yeah I did. I put you through a scene last night, and now I'm taking care of you, like a good Dom should. You still feeling okay? Don't need anything more today? How's your head?" Greg said.

Alex shrugged a little. "I feel fine? I don't feel sad or anything or depressed or guilty, like you said to look out for. Just happy. I like making you happy, and I like doing what you tell me to do. It was nice. I enjoyed it. I'm still not sure what else to say about it just yet, but I did enjoy it. I think maybe I am interested in that blue book after all, even if I don't know why. It's still doing what you say, right? Still serving you as you wish?"

"That's the one, Alex. Given you're already a good servant, it won't take long to adjust your training to suit the service protocols in the book. Should we start there for now while we work up to the more sexual, kinkier things? I feel like you need some time to get your head around it in a nonsexual way first, is that right?" Greg said.

"What do you mean by nonsexual? Will you still tie me up? I liked that very much, sir, and well, your cock - I do, yes, please, I don't - don't just want to serve, I want to finish, sir, if you know what I mean," Alex said, blushing hotly as he spoke about his desires that had finally clarified themselves in his brain at last.

Greg chuckled. "Oh, I do know what you mean. Alright then. We can do those things, sure. I just didn't want to overwhelm you, since it's so new to you. Anyway. Finish your tea then go have a bath, yeah? Use whatever you like from the top cupboard. Really take care of yourself today, you understand? Make yourself feel wonderful. Take as long as you like. And dress in casual clothes, not your uniform, I'm taking you out for lunch."

"Oh, really, sir? That would be wonderful, sir. All of it, I mean. Uh, you know. Sorry. Thank you, sir," Alex said.

Greg kissed his head. "You're very cute when you're flustered, you know."

Alex simply blushed and stared into his tea.

* * *

Alex stared into the top cupboard in the bathroom, looking at all the bottles and soaps and god knows what else was there. This was usually off-limits to him. These were Greg's things, and Alex respected that; he usually made do with a fairly basic bar of soap because he didn't want to waste Greg's money on his meagre needs. But not today, it seemed. He looked at everything, and also smelled everything, before picking out a bubble bath with a frankincense and rose scent, which he liked the most, and poured some into the bath.

The scent hit him straight away, a heady woody smell with a soft floral note to it that seemed heavenly, and he sunk into the hot water, letting the scent just carry him away as the water filled up around him. This was definitely a rare treat for him, not because he couldn't have baths, but because it was so quiet and there were no pressing matters to tend to. He could lie here as long as he wanted.

He closed his eyes, becoming aware of the lack of tension in his shoulders. In fact, his whole body felt relaxed, and it was a strange and delightful sensation. He smiled and closed his eyes.

* * *

The rest of the morning passed by very leisurely indeed. After a mid-morning cup of tea, Greg decided they should go for a walk by the river, and so that's what they did. Greg held his hand every now and then when no one seemed to be looking, and they stopped to sit on park benches and in nice sunny places, just to talk and take in the scenery.

Alex was surprised at how open Greg was being with him. They'd never talked like this before. Usually it was just work, and holidays, and other things of no importance, because this was a working relationship, not a friendship. But Greg was treating him like a friend today, joking with him, and sharing more about his personal life and relationships than Alex would have dared ask about. He'd only met a few of Greg's boys, after all, simply to let them in for parties. What he hadn't realised is that at least a few had also worked for him, doing Alex's job before taking on Greg's discipline.

Alex had to sit with that for a while, because it definitely made sense, but it made him feel like maybe he'd been chosen because Greg had seen that potential in him? That maybe Greg had left that book out for him to see, to gauge his interest? But Alex had worked for him for nearly 18 months now, and he knew his habits. It was far more likely that Greg just hadn't put the book back properly the first time he'd spotted it, rather than some secret plot to see if Alex was kinky. Greg did not seem to be that sort of subtle. He was far more likely to hand Alex the book and tell him to read it than play games like that.

Alex liked that he felt comfortable around him though, even if it did take him a while to open up to him. He didn't feel like there was a lot to tell Greg about himself that he didn't already know, or would be interested in. After all, Alex didn't really do much when he wasn't working, or at home with his family. Servants didn't have time for leisure. He was too busy getting all of Greg's little jobs done. But Greg seemed genuinely interested in him as a person, and encouraged him to talk about himself.

It definitely got easier when they found some common ground, and realised they could make each other laugh. It did feel weird to realise that Greg had hired him for companionship as much as his ability to work. The house was a strange one, after all, and Alex could understand wanting another person around. It also turned out that Alex's assumptions about why Greg had bought the house had been right; if you're going to whip boys at all hours of the night, might as well find a house that's isolated where no one can over-hear. Saves on soundproofing, or so Greg had said.

Speaking of Greg's boys, though, lunch came in the form of a picnic basket delivered by Josh, which Alex had not expected at all, as they lingered about a park not far from the house, watching the river glide by.

"Alright, sir? Hi, Alex," Josh said as he delivered the basket.

"Hi Josh, thanks for helping out today," Greg said.

"No problem. I know how important this is to you, and how it's the kind of day you really remember, at least I do," Josh said. He turned to Alex. "He hasn't told me much, by the way, but I served him once too, as his assistant, and becoming his boy deepened our relationship, and my understanding of service, in ways I never thought possible. Just in case you needed to hear that today."

"Oh, yes, thank you. He did say you used to work for him. Thank you. For lunch. I'm sure it's wonderful," Alex said, trying to hide how much he was blushing, only partly understanding what was going on.

"Oh it is, I'm a great cook, and Greg loves food enough to plan a great meal. Enjoy. I'll leave you to it," Josh said. "Goodbye, sir, I'll see you next week."

"Yeah, see you next week, Joshy, thanks again," Greg said.

"No problem! Seeya, Alex!" Josh said before he turned and walked off.

"Well, I guess that makes it lunch time. Come on, let's go find a nice spot to eat," Greg said.

* * *

They walked through the park until they found a lovely shady tree with some lovely sunshine, and made a picnic there. There weren't many people around, only those passing by on a footpath some distance away. The trees were partially hiding them, and Alex liked that.

"I wasn't expecting you to go to such trouble, sir," Alex said as he sat down on the rug, watching Greg unpack the basket.

"Well, if it was any other boy, I'd get you to help cook, but obviously I'm not going to make you cook your own picnic lunch, so I got Josh round to help instead. Don't mind him, though, this is why he's one of my special boys," Greg said.

"Your special boys, sir?" Alex said, intrigued.

"Yeah, I mean, they're all special in their own way, but he's particularly close to me and I give him a lot of my special jobs. Like I told you before, he used to be my assistant before you came along, so he helps out with the chores if I need it because he knows the job just as well as you do," Greg said.

"Oh! Oh, right, that makes sense. So do all your assistants end up wearing your collar, or are we just special?" Alex said.

"You're just special. I don't need you to wear my collar, Alex. You do a great job as it is. I don't want you to feel like you need to take this extra step if it's not something you'll enjoy or get anything out of," Greg said.

"I know, I know, I do appreciate that you're not pressuring me about it. I do want to try it though. I think I might really like it, even if I don't really know how yet," Alex said. "I don't know. Maybe I just need to understand it. I'm not sure. But I'd like to try it with you, sir."

"Very well. In that case, you'll need this," Greg said.

Alex watched as Greg took out a plain black box out of the basket, one that didn't look like it contained any food. Greg handed it to him, and Alex opened it to find the little blue book, and a plain dark red leather collar with an O-ring at the front.

"Sir? What's this for?" Alex said.

"This is what I give to any boy thinking about training with me. This book is now yours, for as long as you need it. Read it, study it, make your own notes, talk to me about it, ask any questions you like, as you make up your mind whether you want to wear my collar. You'll know what to do if you want to be my boy. And if you decide it's not something you want, that's perfectly fine. Just return the book and the collar in this box and we'll keep things as they are," Greg said.

Alex took out the collar and looked at it. It was softer than he'd imagined, but looked like it had been made well. He couldn't help unbuckling it and seeing what it felt like around his neck for a moment before he took it off and returned it to the box. He didn't want to make that decision yet.

"You really want to take me on? But I know nothing about this sort of thing. How do you know I'll be any good at it?" Alex said.

Greg shrugged. "You know how to serve, right?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Then there's your answer. Trust me, Alex, I know this is brand new to you. That's why I want you to read the book and think about it and ask questions before you consent to anything more than that, alright? This is not something to enter into without proper consideration and negotiation. You have no idea what your limits are or what you even like or dislike yet. So give me a chance to help you find them, if that's what you want," Greg said.

Alex looked down at his lap. He took out the book and held it, unsure why he wanted this, but certain that he did. Something about the service protocols had made sense in his head, and he wanted to learn more. He'd never realised this sort of thing could involve service too. He was good at service! And serving Greg did make him happy, as much as it made Greg happy too, so. What was there to lose here? Either way, he'd be happy, right?

"The collar, by the way, is a collar of consideration. It's not permanent. It means nothing more than that we're exploring this together to see if we're compatible. If it is, we'll move onto a training collar. If not, then no harm done. You can go back to being my assistant, if you feel comfortable doing so. There's absolutely no obligation or contract attached to this collar. Just a desire for you to trust me and let me help you figure out if this is for you," Greg said.

Alex took the collar and had a closer look at it. "So do I wear this or&hellip?"

"You can wear it if you want. This is how I get my new boys used to wearing collars if they haven't worn them before. You don't have to wear this all the time, but you should try wearing it to see how it feels. Because if you decide to train with me, and you get your training collar, you'll be wearing that all the time unless I give you permission to take it off, so keep that in mind as you decide whether that's something you think you'd like to do," Greg said.

"Are the training collars just like this then? Is that why?" Alex said. "So they won't be like &hellip bigger or something?"

Greg laughed. "No, it'll be the same as this one, just a different colour. If you get as far as a permanent collar, that'll be a chain collar with a padlock, and you'll have time to adjust to that too. But we're getting ahead with ourselves here. We haven't even agreed to start yet. Though I did take the liberty of calling your wife while you were in the bath this morning just to let her know we might need to negotiate more limits to your more intimate service, if you decide to go ahead with this. Obviously you'll want to talk to her too and negotiate with her what she's happy to let you do, but I thought she should hear it from me first, since I know what I'm talking about. I wouldn't have offered you the collar without her consent, Alex. I'm not that kind of Dom."

"Oh, yes, of course, thank you for that. I wouldn't have known where to start. But I will talk to her tonight, yes. I always do, of course, but thank you," Alex said, relieved he wouldn't have to do that himself.

Greg smiled and patted his shoulder. "Just trying to make this as easy for you as I can, that's all. Come on, let's eat."

Alex perked up at the prospect of food. "Time for lunch, sir?"

"Yes, dig in, Alex. It's all good, I promise," Greg said.

* * *

Alex retreated to his little caravan once they got back to the house a few hours later, wanting some time to simply think on his own. He set the black box on the table and stared at it for a moment before he took the lid off and removed the collar and the blue book. He picked up the collar again and held it in his hands, wanting to spend a moment getting to know this collar and what it felt like and appreciate the leather smell it had. It looked brand new. It had a simple silver buckle and an O-ring on the front, which Alex sort of knew the uses it could be put to, such as being attached to a leash.

He put the collar on and let it sit there for a moment, seeing how it felt. They'd talked a lot about how things might work between them if Alex decided to wear his collar, and Greg had said he wouldn't be allowed to take it off without permission. Alex sat with that thought, imagining how it would feel to not be able to take this off. To have to wear this all the time, even when he was sleeping.

At that thought, he lay down and curled up on the seat, trying to see if that was comfortable. And it sort of was, in a strange way. The collar wasn't very wide, but it was soft, and it did feel nice on his neck. Wearing it would be like wearing his wedding ring, Greg had said. That's what a collar was to Greg as a Dom. It was a serious commitment, but also offered security and peace too. Alex understood that. His marriage had definitely been a sign of his commitment to Rachel more than anything else. That's what his wedding ring meant to him. To have a collar as well, to commit to Greg in the same way that he'd committed to Rachel...

Something about that seemed ... weirdly good? No, not good. Peaceful? No. Alex couldn't think of the right word for it. But it didn't feel wrong. Something about it made sense to him, even if he had no understanding as to why. He'd never felt his life was insufficient with only Rachel in it. He hadn't felt he'd needed anyone else, that's why he'd married her. But if he thought about being married, in a sense, to both Greg and Rachel, somehow that just made his heart sing.

He wasn't sure if he'd fallen in love with Greg either, or if he was actually in love, or just in a weird infatuation thing that he didn't understand. He did love working for Greg, that's for sure. He loved him too, as a person. He seemed very kind and very silly and Alex had always enjoyed his company when it had been offered to him. He'd been nothing but kind and considerate to him during this whole process, and he appreciated it.

He picked up the book and slowly leafed through it, not necessarily reading everything, just taking the time to begin to get to know it properly now that he was awake enough to understand it. He looked more carefully and curiously at the photos too, consciously deciding which ones he wanted to try for himself, and which ones didn't look like his sort of thing at all.

He spent the most time on the service protocols, like he'd done before, because he found them so interesting. A lot of it was what he was already doing, except for the positions and the kneeling and a few other things. He did like the idea of starting here and then moving on to other things. Like the more sexual things. Oh. He should talk to Rachel about that. Just so he knew how far he could go.

He grabbed his phone and texted, because it was nearly dinner time, and he didn't want to call her while she was in the middle of feeding the kids, but felt he should at least initiate that conversation before he forgot.

 _Are you really okay with me doing those things with Greg? Is there anything you don't want me doing?,_ he sent, talking himself out of a long caveated apology for texting when he should call, because he did sometimes get too caught up with that.

She did take a while to respond, but Alex didn't mind. It just gave him more time to read through the book and think about what he wanted to tell Greg. In the end, she called just as Alex was thinking about having dinner, which surprised him, because he wasn't expecting her to call before the kids were in bed. He hadn't thought it was the sort of conversation they should be having while the kids were still awake.

"Hi, Alex, Greg did say you might call. How's your day been?" Rachel said, sounding more cheerful than Alex anticipated. In the distance, he could hear the kids playing, but they seemed elsewhere, perhaps outside.

"Oh, well, very good, yes. And yes I did mean to call about - I didn't think Greg would call you first but I'm glad he did - I don't really know how to ask, you see? Don't know what to ask _for_ either, so..." Alex trailed off, unsure what he was actually meant to say. Their marriage had been just the two of them until Greg had asked permission for Alex to suck his cock, and Alex was still getting used to what that actually meant for them. If Rachel didn't keep reassuring him that she was okay with it, he was sure he'd have stopped doing it out of guilt. He wasn't a cheater, nor did he want to be.

"If you're wondering whether you can do things with him, you know I said you could ages ago. What else do you want to do with him that requires any other permission than that?" Rachel said.

Alex might have blushed at that point. "I-uh, well, look, we've never done this before, I just - don't want to hurt us. You come first, Rach, you always will. I don't want to do anything that'll make you mad or jealous or, well, I don't know, cross with me. I gave myself to you completely when we got married. I guess I just want to be sure this is okay, that it's not going to hurt you if I do- sexual things with him. With someone else. Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Yes, I'm okay with it. Besides, it'll be good for you to get it more than once every few months, you know? I don't want you going without, because I know you don't even touch yourself unless you're home with me, do you?" Rachel said.

"Oh, well, it's not- you know, but, too busy, really, just don't, wouldn't want to- not my house anyway, so-" Alex stammered, failing at improvising an excuse.

Rachel laughed. "How is it you have more guilt about that than I do? You're not even religious!"

"I mean, I'm technically at work, Rach, I just- feels weird when I know he's there too, you know? This caravan does have very thin walls, after all," Alex said.

"Yeah, I know, I'm just teasing you. You're so easy to wind up about that, seriously," Rachel said.

"Yeah, I know, sorry," Alex said. He definitely did know that, but it never stopped him feeling embarrassed about it anyway. But then he did love her teasing too, because there was always so much love for him in her voice. God, he loved her so much. "You don't think I'm weird for wanting to do those things with him, do you? I mean, I don't even know if I really do or not, but I just- need to know one way or another."

"If it makes you happy, that's enough for me, Alex. And who knows? Maybe I'll start bossing you around when you come home, since I know you like that sort of thing now," Rachel said.

Alex made a noise then, because he had not even ever considered that as a possibility at all, and now his dick was getting a little hard and god, the very idea of doing those things at home! With her! Kneeling for her, being her-her little boy, _oh_. That was doing things to him too.

"I-... oh, uh, maybe? You'd really do that for me?" Alex said, once he'd found his voice.

"You'll find out when you come home next, which will be as soon as you can manage if you know what's good for you," Rachel said.

"Yes, yes, of course, I'll - yes, leave it with me," Alex said hastily, making a promise to ask Greg for another weekend off as soon as possible.

"I'll leave you with that thought, I gotta get _your children_ into bed soon," Rachel said. "Call me later once he's tired you out. I wanna hear all about your day before I go to sleep, yeah?"

"Yes, of course! Kiss them all goodnight for me and hug them tight and tell them how much I love them," Alex said.

"I will, don't worry. I always do. Talk to you later, yeah?" Rachel said.

"Yeah, talk to you later," Alex said.

Alex might have spent at least ten minutes after she'd hung up thinking about what it would be like to do kink things with her and _wear Her collar_ as well as her wedding ring. Which then collided into a very attractive image of kneeling for both her and Greg at the same time, and he had to go splash some cold water on his face then as he heard Greg calling him in to dinner so he didn't go in looking like the hot mess that he was.

* * *

Alex closed his eyes as he felt Greg tug on the leash, trying not to fall forwards. His hands were bound behind his back and he was stark naked, but neither of these things bothered him because he was kneeling in front of Greg's throne and he felt wonderful.

How he'd got to this position after what had been a fairly uneventful but very pleasant dinner was mostly down to Greg noticing that Alex was wearing the collar still, and asked if he'd spoken to Rachel yet. Unbidden, Alex simply told him everything, and ended up kneeling at his feet, begging to play with him again. He'd confessed the one thing he knew he wanted more than anything else, and that was to make Greg come, to finish the job he only ever got to start. Greg did take great delight at that, but insisted it would happen last.

So, before he'd been allowed to kneel at his feet, staring at his gorgeous, hard cock, a steel cock ring making it look utterly magnificent, Alex had been tied to the bed again, and Greg had simply played with him, giving him every kind of sensation Alex could conceive of, and many more he'd never felt before. Greg had also teased him into an erection, keeping it there with a cock ring of his own, which was beginning to get very frustrating now.

"I don't believe I told you to close your eyes, boy. Look at me when you're kneeling at my feet!" Greg said, his voice now harsh and commanding. It honestly just made Alex harder, if that was even possible. He didn't know why, but it did.

Alex snapped his eyes open and looked up at him, scared but also full of nervous anticipation. Greg was in the leather he usually wore for his boys, and Alex had got him hard at the start like he usually did. Only now he was the one being played with, and he could hardly believe his luck. He might have licked his lips at that moment, seeing a little precome oozing from Greg's cock. He was definitely enjoying this as much as Alex was.

Greg raised a booted foot and rested it on Alex's shoulder. "Clean it, slut. Show me how sorry you are."

"Yes, sir," Alex said and turned his head as best he could to lick Greg's boot. The sole of the shoe was hard and rough, but the pain in his shoulder felt weirdly good. Alex didn't really understand why, but he didn't want to think about that. He had another job to do.

It was a difficult task because of the angle. Alex could really only get his ankle and the surrounding area, since Greg did not seem inclined to shift his foot at all. He did like the taste of his boots though. The leather was very much doing it for him, and being held down like this felt very, very nice indeed.

Alex made a noise as Greg pressed his other boot into his groin, stepping on his cock. This resulted in Greg slapping his bare shoulder with a riding crop.

"I didn't ask for whining, boy," Greg scolded. He shifted his foot and pressed it into Alex's face. "Lick it, or I'll have to gag you, boy."

Alex licked. Of course he did. God, he was loving this so much, even if he had no idea why. He'd never imagined being degraded like this would turn him on, but maybe that's because no one had ever done this to him before, so he'd never thought to ask for it.

"In fact, I might gag you anyway. What's your gag reflex like?" Greg said, shifting his foot away from his face and back to his shoulder.

"Oh, uh, okay, I guess?" Alex said.

Greg gave him A Look. "You wanna repeat that, boy? Properly?"

"I, uh, my gag reflex is okay, I think, sir," Alex said, correcting himself. Greg had asked him to be very clear and polite with his words, and to only call him 'sir'.

Greg tied the leash to a ring on the throne and got up. "Stay, boy. Don't make a sound."

Alex simply nodded and waited where he was. Greg wasn't gone long though. When he returned, he knelt down behind him and fastened a ring gag around his head, which was a strange sensation. It wasn't the kind of gag that kept him from speaking; what it did was keep his mouth _open_. It wasn't very big, but it still felt weird to have a metal ring keeping him from closing his mouth. He looked up at Greg anxiously as he sat down and took hold of the leash again, while his other hand stroked his cock.

"If you dare come before me, I'll kick your legs in," Greg said as he grabbed Alex's head and guided him into his cock. "Fuck."

This was a very different blow job to what he'd been anticipating, but he didn't mind. Greg's cock still filled his mouth beautifully, and the ring seemed to be just big enough to take his girth and still be tight enough to provide a nice pressure. Greg was making all sorts of lovely noises, which encouraged Alex to keep going.

It was a bit hard, though, because the ring made it difficult to do the things he was used to doing to get his master off, but it seemed that wasn't what Greg wanted tonight. Alex was kept close, always aware that Greg was holding the leash, holding him in place, making sure that mouth never left his cock as he fucked his face.

It was overwhelming, but in the best possible way. He loved - _loved!_ \- the feeling of Greg's cock in his mouth. It might have threatened to make him cry out of sheer relief at finally being able to finish after so long of only being able to start him off. Greg's hand sometimes gripped the back of his head, keeping him in place, fingers digging into his skull.

Not that Alex had enough time to take it all in as much as he'd have liked. Before long, Greg pushed him off and came all over him before Alex had realised that's what was happening. He looked up at Greg, feeling a little dazed but very happy to have been able to give him pleasure.

Greg lazily unbuckled the gag, removed it, and tossed it aside before he pulled Alex's face into his groin, where Alex could really appreciate his smell and how calm just being here made him feel. He'd always known he was into men as well as women, but he'd met Rachel when he was only 22, and once he'd decided she was the one, that was it. He'd willingly given up his chances to play around with men. Well, until now, of course. Greg's fingers tangled in his hair, and Alex simply breathed.

"Have you come yet, boy?" Greg asked, his voice softer and warmer now.

"No, sir," Alex murmured.

"Good boy," Greg said.

"Thank you, sir."

"C'mere then, boy. Can't have you going to bed like that, now, can we?"

Greg pulled Alex into his lap then, and Alex looked at him, amazed, as Greg finished him off with his hand, reaching back to stroke his anus at the same time. Alex couldn't remember coming that hard before, well, ever. Greg let him flop down against his chest, and Alex closed his eyes, utterly content.

Greg kissed his cheek and held him close. "Yep, I think you'll train up just fine, Alex."

"Really? You really think I'll make a-a good boy for you, sir?" Alex said, lifting his head just enough to look at him.

"Yeah, I do."

Greg brushed his cheek with a finger before pulling him into a soft, gentle kiss, and that was the point where Alex simply melted into a puddle of goo. He'd loved Greg's harshness as a Dom, but his softness was just as exquisite.

"Thank you, sir. I will do my best for you, sir," was all Alex could think of to say as Greg held him tight and kissed his temple.

"You already do, Alex," Greg said.

That was the moment Alex's heart made room for two, trusting Greg completely as he submitted to him in body, mind, and soul. He didn't know why he wanted this, but felt sure in his heart that serving Greg as his submissive was the only thing he wanted to do now, to wear his collar and kneel at his feet, being the best good boy he could possibly be.


End file.
